Three-dimensional displays, which display moving or static images over the surface of a three-dimensional geometric form, have an inherent advantage over flat, planar displays in that they may be viewed from more than one vantage point at any one time, allowing a dispersed audience to view images without the requirement for the display to have a predetermined orientation relative to said audience. Three-dimensional displays are typically spherical or spheroidal in form, but other three-dimensional geometric forms (e.g. cylindrical) are also known.
Such three-dimensional displays are typically installed at a site for a relatively short period, and are therefore required to be assembled and disassembled on a regular basis. In addition, three-dimensional displays are typically required to be transported to a site for assembly and use and/or stored in a disassembled form.
Known three-dimensional displays, such as the display disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,633 (Fussel) require installation by experienced technicians, in order to ensure that the screen is secured to the display apparatus correctly, that gas-retaining seals are established around the mouth of the screen and image projecting apparatus extending into the interior of the screen, and to ensure that the relative position of the screen with respect to the image projection apparatus is correct.
The high performance display disclosed in WO 2008/065400 (Pufferfish Limited) requires precise alignment of the screen with image projection apparatus in order to prevent undesirable distortion of images projected on the screen. This cannot be achieved if the screen is incorrectly installed and this problem is mitigated by keeping the three-dimensional screen remains attached to the base unit for storage or transport. Whilst this solution ensures that the display apparatus can be reliably installed, the storage and transport solution may be insufficiently compact for some applications, for example transport by air or transport of particularly large three-dimensional display apparatus and in some circumstances it is therefore necessary to disassemble three-dimensional display apparatus of the type disclosed in WO 2008/065400.
Thus, there remains a need for three-dimensional display apparatus which may be conveniently shipped and/or stored in a configuration which is suitable to be assembled rapidly and reliably without the requirement for particular technical familiarity with three-dimensional displays.
Furthermore, there remains a need for three-dimensional display apparatus suitable to be broken down into small units for storage or transport.